By: Steve Markenson, Vice President, Research & Insights, FMI
As attendees at this year's Midwinter Executive Conference navigated their way through the various levels of the beautiful JW Marriott at Marco Island, Fla., they could not miss a big wall of facts about the food industry. As I also navigate my way through the venue to and from various meetings and presentations, I witnessed the attendees (when they were not sneaking peeks at their cell phones) absorbing with interest all these important data points about the industry. Where did they come from? The answer is from the more than 40 research projects and reports that FMI produced in 2023.
This is just a sample of all the facts and insights we gather about and share with the industry. And this year, we are not slowing down! Below is a brief overview of what we have in store for 2024. Check in with the FMI store for all the reports. Follow our blog and follow us on social media for news and perspective on the latest releases. As always, we welcome input and ideas that will make our research more valuable to the industry.
Signature Research
May 2024: U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends tracks trends among U.S. grocery shoppers, and for the last four decades has traced where they shop, how they shop and what issues are most important to them as consumers. This year's edition examines how consumers determine value in their grocery shopping store decision making.
- May: Shopping Trends and Value
- August: Back to School
- October: Holiday
July 2024: The 75th edition of The Food Retailing Industry Speaks is a survey of food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers that provides important operational and financial benchmarks, assesses perceptions of the competitive environment, determines what differentiation tactics are effective and identifies what issues are having the biggest impact on sales/profits.
August 2024: The State of Fresh Foods spotlights fresh foods to showcase key trends and data points. These include statistics ranging from share of store sales to space and labor allocation. The momentum for fresh foods is underscored by retailers who identify perishables departments as key priority development areas for 2024. The State of Fresh Foods is drawn from The Food Retailing Industry Speaks.
Power of Series
The Power of report series identifies the biggest trends in consumer purchasing and consumption habits pre-trip, in-store, online and at home. Each report is a department-specific set of insights gathered from the eyes of the consumer, and for some is overlayed with sales data provided by Circana and Nielsen. Combined these reports provide key insights to help drive recovery and further growth.
- March 2024: The Power of Produce
- March 2024: The Power of Meat
- March 2024: The Power of Seafood
- June 2024: The Power of Private Brands: From the Consumer
- September 2024: The Power of Nonfoods
- September 2024: The Power of Private Brands: From the Industry
- Fall 2024: The Power of Foodservice at Retail
- Fall 2024: The Power of In-store Bakery
Other Research
January 2024: Food Industry Contributions to Health & Well-being tracks the evolution of how food retailers meet the needs of shoppers seeking healthier lifestyles. This report also surveys food suppliers about their contributions to the health of their customers.
February 2024: Store and Department Manager Satisfaction Report provides a view from the food industry's store and department managers. This report details their job satisfaction, key challenges, opportunities and more.
May 2024: Asset Protection in Food Retail is the third-annual report spotlighting how asset protection professionals adapt their strategies to address a wide range of traditional and emerging threats—from natural disasters to active shooters.
May 2024: Food Retailing and Wholesaling Audit Study updates the 2016 Food Retailing and Wholesaling Audit Study by documenting changes in key benchmarking information and capturing new data points specific to the internal auditing function at FMI member and non-member companies.
We conduct research so we can provide our members and the industry with insights.
Industry Topics address your specific area of expertise with resources, reports, events and more.
Our Research covers consumer behavior and retail operation benchmarks so you can make informed business decisions.
Events and Education including online and in-person help you advance your food retail career.
Food Safety training, resources and guidance that help you create a company food safety culture.
Government Affairs work — federal and state — on the latest food industry policy, regulatory and legislative issues.
Get Involved. From industry awards to newsletters and committees, these resources help you take advantage of your membership.
Best practices, guidance documents, infographics, signage and more for the food industry on the COVID-19 pandemic.
